GLOSSARY OF TERMS- An Indian Art.
ta – Fundamental tabla bol of the right hand.
ta – Fundamental tabla bol.
taali – See tali.
tabaliya – A respectful term for a tabla player.
tabalji – A slightly derogatory term for a tabla player.
tabla – 1) The pair of Indian hand drums. 2) The right hand drum of the pair. 3) The Arabic word for any drum.
tabla tarang – A musical instrument composed of numerous wooden tabla tuned to different pitches.
tal – 1) The Indian system of rhythm. 2) A particular rhythmic cycle (e.g., tintal, rupak tal, etc.) 3) Clapping of hands. 4) (Archaic) A style of timekeeping in the marg sashabd kriya characterized by the striking of the stationary left hand with the right hand.
tal-lipi – Percussion notation.
tal paddhati – A theoretical framework of rhythm.
tal-vadhya-kachari – A percussion ensemble.
tali – Clapped.
talim – 1) Education, training. 2) A body of pedagogic material.
tamasha – A street performance.
tamir tal – An obscure tal of 14 beats.
tamrakarni tal – An obscure tal of nine beats.
tan – A run of musical notes (i.e., a melodic lick).
tanpura – A long necked, stringed instrument for providing the drone.
Tansen – A great musician in the court of the Emperor Akbar.
tappa – A Punjabi style of semi-classical singing.
tappa tal – A 16 beat tal.
tar saptak – The higher octave.
tarana – A style of singing, originally of Persian origin, today characterized by meaningless syllables.
tasa or tasha – A small drum which is beaten with sticks.
tasma – The rawhide lacing of the tabla.
tat – 1) A tabla bol. 2) A plucked string instrument (e.g., sitar, sarod, etc.)
tawaif – 1) A female entertainer. 2) A prostitute.
tavil – A large drum used in south Indian temples.
te – A tabla bol.
teental – See tintal.
tesra – See tisra
tevra tal – See tivra tal.
thah – See thanh
thah dun – A term used by Benares musicians to indicate a composition played twice, the second time being twice the speed of the first.
thanh – 1) Vilambit. 2) Single time.
thappi – An accompaniment pattern of pakhawaj similar to prakar.
that – A mode.
theka – 1) The fundamental rhythmic pattern used for timekeeping. 2) A type of theme and variation, similar to peshkar, used by musicians of the Benares gharana.
thu – A tabla bol.
thumri – A semiclassical style of singing.
thumri tal – A 16-beat tal used in the accompaniment of thumri singing.
thun – A tabla bol.
ti – Fundamental tabla bol.
tigun – A layakari of 3:1 (i.e., triple-time.)
tihai – A cadenza composed of three identical sections.
tilwara tal – A 16 beat tal similar to tintal.
timir tal – See tamir tal.
tin – Fundamental tabla bol.
tintal – A very common tal of 16 beats.
tipalli – A type of tihai where each phrase is in a different tempo.
tisra – Third.
tisra jati – Triplets.
tisri tali – Third clap.
tivra tal – An old pakhawaj tal of seven beats.
tiya – See tihai.
toda – A tihai
todi – 1) A that (mode). 2) The major rag in Todi that.
top – (Lit. “cannon”) A loud paran which characterizes thunder, battles, or similar moods.
tra – A tabla bol of the right hand.
tripalli – See tipalli.
triputa tal – An obscure tal of 8, 9, 11, or 13 beats.
trital – Tintal, a common 16 beat tal.
triveni tal – An obscure tal of 19 beats.
tryastra jati – Any rhythm composed of 3, 6, 12, etc. beats.
tu – A tabla bol.
tukada – A small composition containing a small body and a tihai, very similar to paran except that the bols do not show a pakhawaj influence.
tukheda – See tukada.
tun – A tabla bol.
turanglila tal – An obscure tal of 10 beats.
